Disney’s “Live” blunder the latest in management woes To understand the brouhaha over Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, and ABC executives’ handling of this Live crisis, you have to go back 20 years. In 1995, the financial interest and syndication rules – or fin-syn as it was called – expired after 25 years, once again letting the major broadcast networks […]
Catching up on media news: Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper is returning to the Fox 32’s morning show: as first reported by Robert Feder Monday, Roeper has signed on as host of Good Day Chicago, joining Corey McPharrin and Darlene Hill. Roeper will continue his role as film critic at the Sun-Times. The signing comes as current host Jon Kelley is departing […]
Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert unexpectedly passed away Thursday at the age of 70, two days after announcing his cancer had returned and was cutting back on his workload. Ebert had been battling with thyroid cancer, which robbed him of his voice. However, it turned out he also developed cancer in his leg. There were plans to relaunch his […]
The balcony is closing. Again. But it could reopen soon. On his Chicago Sun-Times blog tonight, Roger Ebert posted that production on Ebert Presents At The Movies has been suspended indefinitely due to a lack of funding and an inability to find an underwriter for the PBS show. The move was pretty much expected – Ebert had until November 30 […]
Could the balcony close again? Sure looks like it. Roger Ebert’s revival of At The Movies could bite the dust after only one season due to problems finding financing for the show, according to an item he posted on his Chicago Sun-Times blog. Movies has been primarily funded by Ebert and his wife Chaz themselves. With the Eberts no longer […]
After flopping out at CBS, Katie Couric is looking to shine at ABC. In a deal announced today, The Walt Disney Company has signed the former Today and CBS Evening News personality to a multi-year, multi-platform deal, which includes a daily syndicated talk show and beginning this summer, a regular contributor to ABC News. Ms. Couric departed as anchor of […]
The title card of the new Roger Ebert Presents At The Movies. Get your popcorn ready – because the balcony is re-opening and there’s going to be a show. One of the principals behind Sneak Previews/At The Movies is bringing the series back to its original home of PBS. Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert announced on his website today […]
When Who Wants To Be A Millionaire returns to begin its ninth syndicated season on September 13, the show will go under a dramatic overhaul so stringent, the only thing you may recognize is host Meredith Vierra. To stem declining ratings, the series is changing the way how it plays the game. And if you thought it was tough to […]
The balcony is closed. Forever. (have I said this before?) And yes, it’s for good this time. After 24 years, Disney-ABC Television Distribution , the half-hour weekly movie review show once fronted by Chicago movie reviewers Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. The most recent incarnation was hosted by Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips and New York Times critic A.O. […]
The final day of the press tour came Saturday, and it was ABC’s turn to face the press. ABC – During the ABC executive session, Stephen McPherson talked about ABC’s aggressive new series push this fall – eight in all – airing Tuesday through Friday (more on this a little later.) – But the big news is McPherson wants Paula […]
CBS Television’s new Doctors has tied NBC Universal’s Deal or No Deal in the first-run syndication race among new series, with both shows tying each other at 1.9. GAA rating. Doctors was up 12 percent from last week; Deal was flat. But Disney-ABC’s new weekly hour Legend of the Seeker beat them both, with a 2.1 rating, up 5 percent. […]
Another installment in the Groovy Grab Bag – let’s see what’s in the sack: – WGN-TV announced it was re-airing the Carlos Zambrano no-hitter on Friday night at 10 p.m. on WGN and WGN America. Zambrano no-hit the Houston Astros Sunday night in Milwaukee in a game moved from Houston because of Hurricane Ike. Zambrano became the first Cubs pitcher […]
Well, that was quick. Forty-eight hours after Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper announced their departure from At the Movies, Disney-ABC Domestic Television Distribution has named new co-hosts for the weekly syndicated movie review show – and announced a new format as well. Ben Lyons – the son of New York film reviewer Jeffrey Lyons (who coincidentally co-hosts a competing syndicated […]
(Updated from an earlier story.) The balcony is closed. Forever.Chicago Sun-Times personalities Richard Roeper and Roger Ebert has decided to leave the 22 year-old Disney-ABC Domestic Television-syndicated At the Movies. Roeper succeeded the late Gene Siskel in the role after his death in 1999, but medical problems have sidelined co-host Ebert for the last two years, while ratings for the […]
The balcony is never going to close, thanks to a website that’s posting 20 years worth of movie reviews from Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert and the late Tribune film critic Gene Siskel. At the MoviesTV.com, will make more than 5,000 video reviews from Siskel, Ebert, and Siskel’s replacement, Richard Roeper available, making it the largest collection on the web. […]